


Games of Skill and Chance

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bonding, Card Games, F/M, Hospitals, Injury Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22018489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: “Rey isn’t here to gawp,” explained Poe, “She’s here to keep you company.”“What?” Rey and Hux spluttered at the same time.“The medics say you need to be intellectually stimulated, it will speed your recovery...and Jedi help people right Rey?"Sensing her need to find a purpose after the battle of Exegol, Poe asks Rey for help with a former enemy, now reluctant ally.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rey, Poe Dameron & Rey
Comments: 10
Kudos: 88
Collections: Reyuxmas 2019





	Games of Skill and Chance

“I need a favour”

Rey looked up at Poe warily. She could feel the forced nonchalance rolling off him as strongly as she had sensed Finn’s worry earlier in the day. He had knocked on her door for the fifth time that morning, anxiously making sure she was okay.

_I’m fine._

_I promise you, I’m fine._

_I’m fine, really._

Finn hadn’t believed it and that was okay because it wasn’t true. But everyone was still celebrating the downfall of the First Order and the last thing Rey wanted to do was to bring everyone down. It was over, they had won, and no one should be worrying over the implications of the victory or mourning the losses.

Every time Rey closed her eyes she could see the glow of the lightsabers and the flames consuming ships. She heard screams of pain and the rattle of final breaths. It didn’t matter if she was hanging out with Rose or in her bunk trying to sleep or fixing up the falcon with Chewie, in an instant she would be back on Exegol, cold and on the brink of death, terrified out of her mind. A warm hand on her shoulder or a soft word of concern would bring her back but it was as if Rey could still feel the stain of the place under her skin.

“What kind of favour?”

The briefest look of relief flashed across Poe’s face, confirming Rey suspicion that Finn had put him up to this.

“Follow me.”

Rey followed Poe across the new headquarters of the Resistance (or New New Republic or whoever they were now there was no one left to resist), weaving in and out of people setting up communication bays and counting supplies and receiving visitors from across the galaxy eager for help filling the void left by the years of destruction.

“You know we split up on the First Order ship? Well Finn and I found our spy. General Hux.”

“What?” Rey laughed, “You’re joking.”

“Nope. Turned against his own people to help us out but it came at a cost.”

They were in the med bay now. Most of the rooms were still being used to treat injuries from the battle and Finn was arranging for a permanent space where psychological wounds could be treated once the physical ones had healed. There were spacious communal rooms for patients to chat and share meals too. Rey had heard that the celebrations in this area of the base were the most raucous.

They headed down a corridor and Poe stopped at the final door.

“Long story short they figured out he was the mole and shot him. He’s a sneaky bastard though, had a contingency plan.” Poe pushed open the door and swept an arm towards the bed where the General lay, face like thunder despite being pale and drawn. There were dark circles under his eyes and a thick bandage around his waist. Around him machines hummed and tubes and wires cascaded over his thin frame and the crisp white sheets of the hospital bed.

“Am I supposed be a source of entertainment now?” he wheezed. It wasn’t the strong voice Rey had heard in the holovids. “Do you plan on bringing every single rebel in here to gawp?”

“Rey isn’t here to gawp,” explained Poe, “She’s here to keep you company.”

“What?” Rey and Hux spluttered at the same time.

“The medics say you need to be intellectually stimulated, it will speed your recovery,” said Poe, “and Rey you need to…”

“Yes?” she asked, icily. Poe’s shoulders sagged and he bit his lip.

“Jedi help people right?” he said after a moment. Rey looked between and Hux, whose eyes had widened at the word Jedi.

“We do, though this isn’t exactly…”

“Great! I will leave you two to get acquainted,” grinned Poe and before either one of them could say anything he was gone.

“I hate him,” muttered Hux. His voice was so low that Rey suspected he hadn’t meant for her to hear. She raised an eyebrow. It was far more childish than she expected from a former leader of the First Order but given she wasn’t feeling particularly charitable towards Poe right then herself she couldn’t argue.

“He likes you,” she said, pulling a chair towards the bed and settling down, “though I think Poe likes everyone.”

“An unsuitable quality in a leader.”

This was going to be tough, Rey groaned inwardly.

“You’re the scavenger girl aren’t you?” Hux asked, “the one Ren was obsessed with?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“You guess?” Hux made a wheezing sound like a laugh but it came out like a death rattle. A shiver ran over Rey that she tried to suppress. “You bested him, he chased you across the galaxy and he never stopped talking about you.”

Rey shook her head, she had no idea what to say to that. Hux frowned and Rey braced herself for more questions but none came. It was relief; she didn’t want to interrogate her relationship with Ben right then and especially not with Hux. 

“I don’t know what Poe expects me to do,” Rey said, as the silence dragged on more than was comfortable, “I doubt I have anything to say that a First Order officer would find intellectually stimulating.” Hux narrowed his eyes.

“Former First Order officer,” he corrected her.

“So you saw the light and joined the Resistance?”

“More like I saw the writing on the wall. The First Order was a bloated corpse, even with Palpatine’s black magic it couldn’t be brought back. Not in any form that mattered anyway,” Hux added bitterly. He pulled at a loose thread on the sheet. His expression dark. Inwardly Rey shivered at Palpatine’s name. So many feelings were threatening to bubble up.

“Do you play sabacc?” Rey asked suddenly. The air was starting to feel a little thin and no matter which direction the conversation went it wouldn’t help.

“Yes,” Hux dragged the word out, “why?”

“I saw a deck in the common room-“ Rey disappeared and returned a moment later with a game board, a pack of cards, a handful of what turned out to be hard sweets, “for the pot” she explained.

“You don’t want to pay for credits?”

“You have any?” Rey asked, enjoying the scowl she got as answer.

Both were pleasantly surprised at the other’s skill as they lapsed into a relaxed game. Rey was a more aggressive player, willing to take risks while Hux was far more calculated.

“Where did you learn to play?” Hux asked as he considered his hand.

“Jakku. Sometimes if I hadn’t managed to scavenge anything it was the only way I could get something to eat.” An odd look passed across Hux’s face. “You want to say something?”

“The First Order should have done something about that,” Hux said carefully. He laid down a card and picked up another, Rey saw him try and hide a wince. “It’s an unsustainable way to live.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Rey snorted, “Who taught you to play?”

“I have been in the military as long as I can remember, everyone plays cards.”

Rey considered that for a moment. All she really knew of the General was that he’d been part of a distinguished Imperial family and that his father had been a founder of the First Order. It hadn’t really occurred to Rey that would make him a child soldier like Finn in some ways.

“You’re uncomfortable.” It wasn’t a question. Rey shuffled her hand, trying o keep her face as blank as possible.

“Since…the war ended,” she said slowly, “I have been thinking about things in a new light I suppose. Nothing is ever straight forward.”

“Unfortunately not,” said Hux laying down his hand, “23, I win.” Rey blinked, eyes scanning the cards before flicking back to her own. With the first smile that had graced her face for weeks, she pushed the sweets towards him before beginning the next round.

In the end Rey won two hands and Hux won three in total though the final round was close. To her surprise Rey found she had enjoyed the afternoon and after their initial discussion she hadn’t thought about Ben or Exegol at all. For his part Hux had perked up too, some of the colour returning his face. He clearly relished the game.

“Thank you,” he said, handing the cards back to Rey, “that was…enjoyable.”

“And here you thought a scavenger wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“I never underestimate anyone,” Hux said, an undercurrent of seriousness to his tone that made Rey pause.

“I can believe that.”

“So…could we play again sometime?” If the intention was to sound casual, Hux failed but it was a compliment of sorts.

“I’d like that,” Rey nodded, “do you like any other games? There’s a Dejarik board on the Falcon if you want to play that?”

“I only know sabacc,” Hux looked a little dejected.

“If you’re a fast learner I can teach you.”

“Great! I mean…that would be good. New experiences and all that.”

“And all that,” smiled Rey, “I leave you to get some rest and then I I’ll be by in the morning and Hux…thank you.”

He gave her a small nod as she left, feeling lighter than she had in a while.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a late entry for week three of Reyuxmas, games and indoor activities!


End file.
